Popular pundit speaks at Cahersiveen meeting on problems facing GAA clubs
RTÉ GAA pundit Pat Spillane has spoken of his frustrations at urban based legislation that is crippling community life in rural Ireland. The recently retired teacher was speaking at a meeting on rural depopulation, held in Cahersiveen on Thursday evening.
Calling for closer cooperation between rural bodies, his comments were an escalation of concerns he had raised on The Late Late Show last year.
"I've been at so many of these meetings over the last number of months and while everyone is really sincere and there's so many proposals, I come away feeling helpless and frustrated as there's no leadership and guidance," he stated.
"We've been neglected in rural Ireland by successive politicians and governments as so much legislation has an urban slant. Whether its septic tanks or rural transport costs, there's nothing being done about it and this is where the GAA has to come in.
"In rural Ireland, the GAA, sporting organisations, the church to a lesser extent, farming and community organisations, they are the important stakeholders and at the moment everyone is going all over and round in circles.
"There is no pro-rural lobby, we are all outside the tent. We need to be inside government departments and offices making our voice heard and being pro-active."
A former publican of 30 years, the Templenoe man said that the increasing pub regulations were putting an end to community life and he warned that the country pub was in danger of being a museum piece instead of the de facto ' community centre' it had traditionally.
"For instance, I don't condone drink driving but when you decide to be so strict on it, at least provide transport for people. Overnight I lost 50 percent of my customers – the man up the mountain who came down three or four nights a week isn't going to hire a taxi to come out 10 miles from Kenmare and won't ask neighbour to drive three miles out to Boherbee collect him. Those rural farmers never came out again – a lot of them died of isolation and loneliness.
"Legislation that children couldn't be in a bar on a Saturday night after 9pm – a family night out – has also affected this."
- KEVIN HUGHES
